


Collected 30s AU Drabbles

by LadyKnight33



Series: 30s AU: Deep in a Dream [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: 30s AU, Angst, Blacksmiley, Dancing, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 22:24:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15895326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnight33/pseuds/LadyKnight33
Summary: Two men randomly meet on the dance floor and hope to continue to meet. One a detective. The other a mafia boss. The secrets between them threaten to keep them apart. The joy of having someone to melt away the pain brings them together.Based on the beautiful artwork and ideas of blacksmiley-c (tumblr), these are the small shorts compiled into one easy view document. Some of these works will be seen in the full length fic. Some could not find a place in the finished piece but still deserved to be shared.Now with additional fluff and new drabbles. Chapters added sporadically based solely on the whim of wild muses. Accept that the scenes have no order and be willing to piece them into place with your own detective's mind.Now with extensions to the love letters and the most recent Chapter of Deep in a Dream.





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blacksmiley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacksmiley/gifts).



> Follow blacksmiley at: http://blacksmiley-c.tumblr.com  
> Or artstation at: https://www.artstation.com/blacksmiley (where all the sketches are accumulated for your viewing pleasure.)
> 
> Follow me on tumblr at slytherinladyknight  
> https://slytherinladyknight.tumblr.com

**In order of appearance as best as possible:**  
Not included are the contributions of Indiana-gold (tumblr) and ask-philotes (tumblr)

**Jack Morrison**

The nights together whirled into blissful ignorance. Who was he to try and deny anyone a chance at freedom and joy. Not when he needed it as much as the man who offered generous hospitality. And a sympathetic ear.

It was perhaps the only place in the city were one could go to enjoy anonymity. You didn’t need status. Just some change and the will to have a good time. And that was all Gabriel ever asked of him. 

Jack would never keep up with the man’s fancy footwork (where had he learned it anyway). Each time he tried, he got the privilege of seeing something new. And a flash of that dazzling smile. Everyone fawned over those rare looks of pure delight. Jack lost himself in those dark expressive eyes, knowing that look was just for him.

The world beyond this paradise weighed him down. He was not a complete idiot. He knew what it took to create this oasis of music, drink and dance. But once he shed his coat, the real world vanished. 

Each night Gabe welcomed him in felt like the most wonderful night of his life.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

Dreams weren’t meant to last forever. By natural design they were fleeting. Ephemeral. Beautiful. 

Just like the blond haired-blue eyed, coordinately challenged angel that just kept returning. Gabriel knew he shouldn’t expect the man’s presence. Still he set his watch by the man’s punctual arrival. Hung on every second this statuesque Adonis chose to grace them with his presence. Patiently gave hours to subtly teaching new steps to a country boy’s repertoire.<.p>

He was never disappointed. The more this uptight man cut loose, the more often he tried to match Gabriel step for step. And how much fun it was! Dancing was life’s best medicine. He could never look away while Jack expressed near childish glee on the dance floor. If he blinked then he ran the risk of loosing the near perfect moments.

A moth fluttering too close to a flame. Burning the sight into his memory for the day he prayed would never come.

So he let Jack talk. Drink. Express all his concerns and troubles without interruption. Became the unexpected confidant. All so he could pull the smart, gorgeous, fun, challenging blond onto the dance floor to enjoy life. 

Because one day they would stare at each other as strangers on the street. When this dreamworld crumbled around their motionless feet.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

The depth of thought drawing his blue eyed beauty away from the intoxicating delight of the present was painful to watch. Gabriel saw it all too often. His place was not meant for that depression. There was too much of it on the outside. He was a rational man. And rationally the only way to remove that heavy brooding brow was distraction. If only for a few moments. They could be everything to each other. Even if it were only here and now.

Whether that came in the form of a song or a dance, Gabriel wasn’t picky. He loved showing off for this man. Loved seeing those eyes light up. Those pale pink lips lifting into a smile. That was his escape. The urge to fulfill his fantasy drove him to further extremes. So what if he sang again. It was what started his whole venture with Santiago. It kept the crowds happy. More importantly it brought Jack.

When song failed, there was always the dance floor. Meticulously polished pine. Nearly every shoe could tap out a captivating rhythm. But the band knew his heart better than he did himself. It was well after closing time. The staff cleaning up the dinning room and preparing for tomorrow’s wave of escapees. Gabriel couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering as he realized Jack had stayed this late. Their conversation had kept him tonight. Nothing truly substantial. It was still a world of fantasy for them.

As the ballad started to play, Gabriel debated on berating the band for their boldness or tipping them generously for their intuition. If Gabriel could have one thing in this messy world, it was this. Peace and laughter. And a good-looking man who never let him go. Their slow steps followed no program. All impromptu based on emotions. 

Perhaps he had too much to drink tonight. Perhaps it was the pure cleanliness of the man in his arms. Something he would never attain. Gabriel drew the man close and chose to forget the blood staining his past. He wanted this moment with every fiber of his being. Gazing deep into those crystal clear sky blue eyes, Gabriel thought he saw the same desire. This was stability. This was _love._

The stupid smile under his beard would last for weeks.

To the sound of instrument cases and shuffling performers, Gabriel did the unthinkable. This intangible dream he lived in every time this angel stepped through his door would be forever changed as their lips met. Softer than dove’s down, more potent than raw moonshine, Jack took Gabriel’s breath away. All he knew was that this was where he belonged.

He promised to be here every time Jack appeared.

Until the night he wasn’t.

The meeting required both him and Santiago. He did his job impeccably. Yet his mind was on his watch. The perfect, punctual man who would condemn Gabriel for breaking such a fragile vow. Long past closing, in the late summer torrent of rain, Gabriel returned to the doors of the  _Lavender Shade_ with little hope of finding escape.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

This was home. The cavernous performance hall. The vacant tables and upturned chairs. Locked cabinets, secret passages, hidden doors. Gabriel had made this place his own. All of it empty. Shadows of what could be. What people desired. How he wished to remake the world. 

Everyone came for their own reasons, yet their goal was the same. To forget.

Gabriel made his living on helping people forget.

He tossed his soaking wet hat and coat over counter and rifled around until he found it. A middle of the road rum. The kind he had favored while learning at the University of Havana. It brought back better memories. He wouldn’t say good ones. Just better than now.

Pouring more than reasonable, Gabriel took the glass to the stage. He helped people forget. The theatrics. The food. The drinks. The music. All of it carefully orchestrated to fulfill fantasies and bombarding the senses until numb. Yet seldom was he able to ignore what happened beyond these doors.

The liquor disappeared faster as he thought. Desperate to leave his problems outside in the deluge of rain.

There had been one man whose presence allowed possible amnesia to the pain. Tall, blond, the very personification of the sun itself. What was he going to say when that man returned. If he returned.

Gabriel slammed the glass onto a nearby stool. He had no one to dance with. No one to sing to. But there was one desperate means of escape he had not retreated to in years. He could play.  
Practicing and tuning an instrument did not count. Gabriel removed the dust covered case from its shelf and set it on a stool to open. The leather bindings brought back memories. This marvelous construction of wood and strings was the last remnant of his father. Tucked inside the velvet lining was a silk kerchief embroidered with tiny blue flowers. He remembered his mother dutifully sewing each impossibly small petal and saying it was a flower of her homeland. The only memento he had of her. 

The sentiments started to overwhelm his actions. Gabriel hurried to unpack the viola. Soon it was pitch perfect and he drew the bow across the strings. Warm rich notes echoed through the empty hall. And so he played.

First the staples of the current day. Blues and slow jazz interpretations. As he warmed up he started on the classics. Music designed for a different time.

His eyes closed as he played. Swaying to the flow of the melodies. Soon the performance hall filled with majestic notes. He didn’t just play. He preformed. For himself. In this entire world, he had only himself. The music pouring forth eased the loneliness. How long? Until the notes faded away into the wind. Gabriel had no intention of allowing it to be soon.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

Prohibition turned into the best money making scheme the American government could have invented. People were used to drinking alcohol. It was ingrained into their soul. Once the United States made that illegal, these people would pay handsomely for a glass. Gabriel Reyes was just filling a need. It was what brought the esteemed Reyes family out of Cuba to link up with the local Alcazar gang. Together the two mafia strongholds cornered the market on illegal desires. 

One night Gabriel was taking a stroll through his streets. He claimed this part of the warehouse district and was even building a high end speakeasy here. So when sounds of gunfire echoed between the buildings, Gabriel and his men responded. Having police show up would be complicated.

He had no idea who the two groups of brawlers were, why they chose here to duke it out, or even who had the gun. These young men were not going to kill each other on his streets. His sharp eyes caught a bundle of rags trying to escape stampeding feet and stray bullets. While his men surged in to break up the fight, Gabriel rolled to cover this out of place kid. A well aimed shot killed the crazed lunatic trying for a target of opportunity. Gabriel poised ready for another round. The rest of his men devastated the violent intruders.

Now he had a wounded kid holding back tears of pain. He had seen the knife wounds and suspected a bullet was lodged in the boy’s arm. He’d get the story later. This street urchin probably provoked those violent individuals. Taking the kid back to _Lavender Shade_ and cleaning him up ensured a night of intrigue. 

***

**Estela Alcazar**

She was not a patient woman. The prenuptial signed. The date set. All that remained was the groom. Waiting for him to arrive from Havana tested her self-restraint. When she wanted something, she got it. One way or another.

Despite appearances, Estela was by no means delicate. Graceful and seductive. She cultivated that look carefully. As a result. she had men wrapped around her fingers for miles. This one though was different.

Gabriel Reyes. Born into the Kings of Havana’s most prestigious family, he did not bend to her will so easily. As expected from a man destined to be a mafia boss. Frustrating for the woman meant to bind him to the powerful Alcazar family.

Two more weeks and she would hold a claim to him that no other woman could. She would be his wife. And all the power and influence that came with that title.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

Police stations always made him nervous. Even when he had done nothing _provable_ wrong. Gabriel was surprised he had received a phone call in the first place. It was highly unusual. And suspicious. Still he straightened his high end suit and tie and mounted the concrete steps. The reason for this visit to the last place on earth Gabriel ever wished to see was probably digging himself a deeper hole.

He turned a corner in the precinct, directly to the bail office. Once confronted with a low level police officer and answering the standard identification questions, the exchange was brief. Cash changed hands. This time legally. Gabriel was then led to a cell.

“Are you his legal guardian?”

Behind the bars sat a grungy, skinny, mean-looking teenager. Fresh bruises and a split lip decorated the kid’s face. Those hard eyes had already seen the horrors life offered and rejected everything the world dished out. “Legal or not, I claim responsibility for him.” Gabriel was tired. The kid had promise and kept throwing it away.

“He was arrested for disorderly conduct. Apparently tried to beat down two men behind High Street.” As the officer explained the charges, Gabriel shot a quick to the boy behind bars. Jesse gave a small shrug. The Lacroix couple lived off that road.

Gabriel didn’t wait longer than an official dismissal to drag the kid through the station to an alcove. “You know better than to cause trouble up there. And if you ever use my name for bail again, I’m cutting you loose.”

Jesse rolled his eyes, knowing the threat to be empty. His sharp gaze caught something behind Gabriel’s shoulder. “Hey boss, ain’t that the guy you dance with?” Daring to take the bait, Gabriel glanced back. Sure enough in a working man’s suit was Jack. Why was he here? This was not his district.

Muffling a curse, he roughly took Jesse’s upper arm and marched him from the building and at least two blocks away to catch a streetcar. “That is not open to discussion.”

“Ooh,” Jesse’s eyes flickered with cruel delight. “You got it bad.”

The streetcar saved him. “Get on.” Gabriel accepted the loss. As smart as Jesse was, the kid was bound to find out.

***

**Lena Oxton**

Her uncle invited her across the pond for holiday. The voyage was quite an adventure for an eccentric debutante. Not many young ladies had the courage to travel alone, much less transoceanic. Lena Oxton was different. She eagerly took her uncle’s invitation and soared with it.

He had flown in the Great War and now worked at a company manufacturing the newest aircraft innovations. Lena had begged him to teach her how to fly from the moment she first listened to his stories of harrowing dogfights and spectacular views. This year would actually be the year!

The summer was filled with instructions and opportunities. However her uncle might have made one small misstep in letting her experience the bizarre mashup constituting the United States. He took her to a club. And it was jazz night. 

Lena fell in love with the music. The performances! All that energy!

And a few cigarette girls caught her attention. She got them to teach her the steps to the wild dances. Soon she was burning holes in the dance floor at the  _Lavender Shade_ supper club. In between cruising high above the fields in a bi-plane.

***

**Amelie Lacroix**

Amelie started to frequent the  _Lavender Shade_ during the height of America’s idiotic prohibition orders. The daily glass of wine was a requirement for all French nationals. Gerard joined on a less frequent schedule, however her husband and Mr. Reyes had several agreements and arranged for French wine shipments directly to their posh uptown home. The McCree character was crude, unkempt, and bordered on rude on a good day. Still Reyes’s errand boy was timely and discrete with their weekly crates of top quality wines. 

Though she had initially migrated to the States because of an offer to dance with the premier ballet company in the city, Gerard made the decision to remain. Europe was well on its way to destabilizing. However when Gerard joined the higher levels of the police force, Amelie’s social aspirations were altered. Her lands and title belonged to the French countryside. Yet her heart remained with this man and feared for him.

Outside her townhome on the nights she did not preform, Amelie watched the children of the neighborhood play. And wondered when she would have a small bundle of her own.

Sometimes McCree would linger on these nights. When a little girl snuck away from her nannies to rough house in the alley, the girl would practice the boxing moves McCree taught her. Though highly unladylike behavior, the girl’s light peals of laughter filled the evening air. When he was caught by the matron of the house, as he always was, the boy tugged his hat respectfully and mutter an apology. Then sullenly return to his truck. No doubt to find a real boxing ring to win a bit of cash. 

Truly, all classes roamed these city streets. 

***

**Reinhardt Wilhelm**

It was a good evening for stroll. A light breeze broke the oppressive summer heat, signaling the transition to fall. Reinhardt loved the change of seasons here. It reminded him of his homeland. These were the days he took to the treelined street and meandered through the dwindling crowds.

And where he found little Fareeha punching the air with determination. He loved the little girl’s irrepressible spirit. Always finding time to share his wisdom or story. Though seeing her box with shadows caught him by surprise. Telling her the story of the time he had to fight off a hundred men in the war, Reinhardt guided the girl back to her doorstep where Ms. Amari scowled in disapproval.  
   
The divorcee was an unusual sight on High Street, just as he, the old German soldier from the Kaiser’s army. The socialites didn’t know what they were missing in coolly tolerating the lovely woman from Egypt. Life was too grand an event to dismiss anyone. He always had a broad smile and kind words for fellow foreign nationals within this melting pot of cultures. He relished the opportunity to travel the world simply by stepping onto the streetcar.

***

**Torbjorn Lindholm**

Producing the best quality steam engine locomotives had substantially increased his income. Torbjorn never thought about the money. Only the ability to craft ever more powerful and creative machines. The combustion engine brought so many more options into play. The automobile and now those newfangled aeroplanes put him back into his workshop for all hours of the day.

When he brought his wife and growing family to the heart of the new world, she questioned the need. Their beloved Sweden was always there for them, but the opportunities here were endless. The only one of his many children interested in his inventions beyond the novelty of new toys was his youngest. Though she spent just as much time with his neighbor, the boisterous German. Between being a rival mechanic and a good friend, Torbjorn didn’t mind so much and often invited the man to drinks. They shared war stories, despite being from different sides. No hard feelings. And plenty of ribbing and friendly competition. 

He owned the biggest manufacturing plant of aeroplanes in world. What did the past matter when he was inventing the future

***

**Jack Morrison ******

********

Jack couldn’t help it. The situation was just too perfect to pass up. “Is that your errand boy?” Jesse McCree completed odd jobs around the club. And was almost always hidden away when it was just the two of them. Still he managed to make his presence known. “Odd choice for a chaperone.”

Gabe couldn’t look less amused. Either the scowl was for McCree stupidly hiding in the rafters. Or for Jack’s choice of words. Getting under the man’s skin was just one perk of their relationship. Figuring out how to turn that scowl into a grin was another.

***

**Jack Morrison**

Jack folded. What else was he supposed to do? Right now this high on life there was no possible way for him to bluff. The coy glances the two shared at the card table would have been scandalous at any other establishment. Here at the _Lavender Shade_ no one gave it a second thought. Gabriel had been right bringing him here. Jack could think of no better way to spend his night then drinking in the freedom and beauty before him.

Dropping his arm across the other man’s broad shoulders, Jack leaned in chuckling, “I don’t remember the last time I’ve been this drunk.”

Gabriel cast an amusedly suspicious look his way. “You didn’t drink anything yet, Jack.”

The grin spanning his cheeks widen. He whispered conspiratorially, leaning in until the bushy mustache tickled his cheek. “I know.” 

For the briefest of moments, Gabriel was stunned into silence. Disbelief colored his smile. Bemusement crinkled his eyes. Laughter welled up in his chest with bright ripples. “Next round’s on me.”

***

**Jack Morrison**

The _Lavender Shade_ was not a building meant to last. It had been built in the twenties, designed to avoid detection during Prohibition. It functioned as a safe house for many years after. The gilded staircases had seen better days. The crystal chandeliers poached for other uses. Only broken tables and chairs remained in the once bustling dining rooms. The stage lay bare. Not even music stands or stools for ghostly performers. Even the meticulously polished pine wood floor, Gabriel’s pride and joy, where dancers flew through time had seen glorious times. Chipped and cracked from inattention, the famous venue was slated for demolition. 

Jack remembered the good times here. When music never stopped. The dance floor never emptied. And the glasses never ran dry. Where he could dance hand in hand with the man he loved. Where no one would give them a second thought, save for Gabriel’s impressive footwork.   
As he pried the tarnished plaque reading _Lavender Shade 24 South Broad St._ from the exterior, Jack wondered how many other patrons would miss this building. If their memories were just as fond.

***

**Jack Morrison**

Things weren’t adding up. His gut told him to search in the direction his heart shied away from. There were too many coincidences of late. Increases in the whispers among his sources. And the inmates. Something big was about to happen and this time Jack did not have the pulse of the street. 

Normally he was not so distant. Always standing in the thick of events. Able to predict illegal movement to such a degree his coworkers stood in awe. Recently he had taken a backseat to most active investigations. Sticking to the cold cases. Making little headway. His insights were still coveted, so he saw more than his heart was ready for.

The name Reyes filled the night as if some curse. The cloud of suspicion lay heavy on his shoulders. He refused to belief it. The likelihood of Gabe being involved…. Was too great to discount. Jack needed a different answer. The man he danced with might have darkness beyond those delightfully twinkling eyes, but how could a murderer genuinely enjoy the company of a cop?

Was he just being played for a fool? Would he be able to step away from Gabriel if he discovered the truth?

But a distant melody tugged at his soul. Dragging it back to a place and a person that taught him how to truly smile again.

***

**Ana Amari**

The world was complicated. Too complicated for her to even begin to explain to Fareeha. Ana watched the great detective wither into a hollow shell of himself. Two events in life had that power over men. Love and Death. She continuously tried to distract him with work. Cases he could solve in a heartbeat despite other men spending months pouring over the same evidence. He passed them over with only a cursory glance.

Ana Amari knew the root cause of this depression. Her woman’s intuition and detective’s skills told her that Jack struggled with the trickiest of emotions. Desire. She had no idea where to begin in getting the man to open up about who held his focus. Yet even knowing this, Ana did not know for certain what was wrong with Jack. 

She placed another file on his stack of unread newspapers. One of these days he would remember the rest of the world. “The answer’s not outside that window, Jack. Either you’re going to have to go after it, or accept that it isn’t interested.”

The man bowed his head with a sigh. “You’re right as always, Ana. But I can’t do either. If I go after it, it will flee far beyond my reach. If I accept disinterest, we’ll both be lost.”

“Well the current status quo is making you useless. Whoever it is that’s got you this way, doesn’t know what they’re missing. Go home, Jack. Or come have dinner with me and Fareeha.”

For a moment Jack frowned, reconsidering his life. Ana hoped he would reach a decision soon. “Dinner sounds lovely.” Together they found Fareeha on the steps waving after a familiar backside of a young man.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

Coming home late enough to avoid discussion but not so late as to incite a rage was becoming a challenge. The nature of the mafia was to work far into the night. The demands of a married man implied he would be home at a reasonable time. Gabriel found neither of these appealing. Though when torn between these options, work always took center stage.

It brought in the income to afford a certain lifestyle.

Ever since leaving Havana, Gabriel felt his enthusiasm for life drain away. The stifling, overcrowded city with its distain for common decency sucked his very soul from his bones. Death was all too common an occurrence on these streets. His own demise lingered in the depths of his mind. All it would take was one lucky bullet.

During these late night hours, Gabriel wondered who would truly miss him. So many of the people in his life were more interested in his connections than himself. But there were a precious few he kept living for. No matter the hardship. Or exhaustion. Gabriel could not afford to misstep in this dangerous world.


	2. Dancing in the Rain and Serenade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dancing in the Rain, plus some

**Drabbles Part Two**

**Gabriel Reyes**

The late summer rains flooded the streets. And Jack had stayed late again. This time however he allowed Gabriel to drive him from the _Lavender Shade_ to the detective’s apartment building. He got to escort Jack all the way up to the first floor entry under his ivory handled umbrella. There, standing on the front stoop, Jack pulled him in for a kiss. The softest, warmest, most passionate a chaste kiss could be.

Jack had kissed him. No prompting. No conversation. A simple goodnight kiss and Gabriel was over the moon. Somehow he held it together long enough for the blond haired-blue eyed angel to step inside. But his heart sang a different tune.

Wild and carefree, Gabriel’s feet shuffled to a distinctly vibrant beat. His umbrella twirled in an unconscious expression of the exaltation running through his veins. Even his lips hummed the refrain best suiting his delight. The song had gone out of favor early in the decade, but Gabriel could think of nothing more suitable. He swore the grin would never leave his cheeks.

His tapping rhythmic steps kicked up small waves across the sidewalk. Closing his umbrella, Gabriel gave up on trying to look respectable. His heart was too light for that. It should be the middle of the afternoon on a bright spring day for how on top of the world he was feeling. Dancing through this drizzle was the only option.

“Boss? Are you done? Someone might see.” Jesse had driven the car along the sidewalk to keep pace with the entertainer.

“Who is there to see, Jesse? It’s after midnight. Raining cats and dogs.” Gabriel leapt onto a streetlight, confident in his assessment of the world. “And Jack kissed me.” He wanted to shout it from the top of the Empire State building.

“So? You guys do that all the time.”

“No, Jesse. There is a difference. This was all Jack.”

“Great. Now can you get in the car? I’m beat.”

Gabriel didn’t want to go anywhere. Despite the knowledge that anyone glaring through their curtains could see a grown man making a fool out of himself, never once bothered him. All he could keep his mind on was the memory of whiskey tinted lips on his. Jack had kissed him. Gabriel was officially addicted.

***

**Jack Morrison**

His ears were still burning from his own brazenness. Jack had to stand in the lobby for a few moments to compose himself. He had kissed Gabe. Guided the gentleman into the most natural conclusion to a wondrous night. Just a simple tender goodnight kiss. With another man. In public. Jack hadn’t even thought about the motion. He just acted.

And Gabe had let him! The man who led all their dances allowed Jack to take the lead. It had been exhilarating.

Now he was beet red trotting to the elevator before anyone could see. Up to his seventh floor flat and away from any prying eyes. He started to settle in to his routine, but the urge to relive the moment under that umbrella overcame him. Jack stepped up to his kitchen window to gaze out at the blessed rain which conspired to bring him to his doorstep with Gabriel Reyes escorting him home. It was an experience worth reveling in.

Down below Jack saw the most amazing sight. The proper gentleman splashed in the puddles. Weaving in and out of the raindrops and headlights with ease. Jack could almost hear the music the entertainer danced to. Tap dancing up a storm regardless of who could be watching. The luxurious car cruised slowly after the drenched man waltzing through the street. Young McCree beckoning the gentleman into the vehicle.

The smile worming its way across his lips grew massive. Gabe could hide many things, but did not enjoy it. Tonight he expressed his emotions in the most appropriate way for the performer. Gabe danced. His joyous energy infectious seven floors up. If the dopey grin plastered to his own face was anything to go by.

His boldness was worth seeing his neatly groomed gentleman behave the fool. Without an audience, Gabe had no shame in showing off the insides of his heart. Jack was privilege to peek into this world. Gabe never needed to know anyone witnessed him dancing in the rain. Jack promised to keep finding ways to bring this euphoria into their relationship.

***

**Jack Morrison**

Jack had never blushed so much in his life as when Gabe took him to the edges of the dance floor and quietly serenaded him during particularly slow numbers. That rich and soothing voice just for him. It whispered and crooned delicate love ballads. Speaking the words both were afraid to say aloud. But the ones that promised a return to those sturdy arms holding Jack close. An embrace which would always wait for him.

He knew these were the nights Gabe was desperate to forget his own demons. Jack knew the pattern. The owner of the _Lavender Shade_ only preformed on stage when the detective needed to break from his brooding. The spectacular song and dance routines easily captured Jack’s imagination and adoration. At the edge of the crowd where the music was quietest, Gabe sang solely for him. Eyes pouring out all the emotion locked within the man’s heart and soul. Needing to say a thousand words but unable to find a single one. So the melodies took their place. The lyrics explained by proxy. Jack understood. Those were the nights he stayed late. He had little more to give. Just his time and presence. At least until Gabriel confided in him completely.

Still the attention and love within these gentle moments filled Jack with such peace. Having Gabe all to himself. Being shown new steps. Having a song just for him. He couldn’t give it up if he tried. He just felt his smile grow and his cheeks light up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow blacksmiley at: http://blacksmiley-c.tumblr.com  
> Or artstation at: https://www.artstation.com/blacksmiley (where all the sketches are accumulated for your viewing pleasure.)
> 
> Follow me on tumblr at slytherinladyknight  
> https://slytherinladyknight.tumblr.com


	3. Dancing in the Rain Part 2; Havana; Serenade #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of Dancing in the Rain, plus a few others.

**Drabbles Continued… Part Three**

***  
**Jack Morrison**

The heavy storm clouds sagging along the peaks of the skyscrapers under construction were not enough to scare Jack from taking his fifteen minute walk and two streetcars to the _Lavender Shade._ He just kept his coat and umbrella close at hand. His Saturday night was filled with enthusiastic dancing and private moments in the high backed booths with the man of his dreams. Jack had stayed the latest he had ever stayed. He did not want to leave the company of the gentleman who was able to light up the night.

The torrent of rain awaiting them outside made the decision to travel in Gabriel’s car all the way to his own apartment building easier. And the continued company was more than welcomed. Gabe was the perfect gentleman and aside from that first kiss isolated on an empty dance floor, the man had never tried again. Jack hesitated on the front stoop of his building where Gabe’s umbrella escorted him. There was one more event that would make this night better. But did he dare? 

Then again, who was up and out in this weather?

Jack leaned in heedless of reputation. Bracing one hand on Gabe’s shoulder and pulling the man forward by the lapel with the other, the detective did not give either time to think about what was happening. Doing so surely would end it before it began. Pressing in with closed lips, Jack’s heart failed a precious beat until the surprised gentleman relaxed into receiving this wondrous yet poor execution of a goodnight kiss.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

Wintering in Havana had its dangers in terms of storms, but it was far preferable to the deep snows of New York. The heat of the day tapered down as the sun dipped below crystalline waters. Golden flecks rippled across the horizon as scarlets and pinks highlighted the stripes of clouds remaining in the sky. Gabriel relaxed in his wooden deck chair to enjoy the view. A pineapple juice, Grenadine, and rum with a hint of Maraschino liqueur concoction rested on the wide arm of the chair and cradled in his left hand. Its warm pink to red hues blending with the evening sky before him.

His island home of Cuba was a paradise. Gabriel hated to leave its sun-drenched shores when work demanded it. The myriad of dance halls in Havana alone occupied his time. Though there was one place he missed while basking in the tropical sun. His supper club the Lavender Shade. He had built the place in the middle of America’s Prohibition and kept it running upon repeal. It was his sanctuary from the messy business his family was in. Even if it served as a front for many less violent activities. He had even taken in a ward. The boy had traveled with him from New Orleans to New York and continued to do odd jobs around the club and beyond. With Gabriel’s loyal men keeping an eye on him, it kept him out of trouble.

Multiple shoes clattered along the decks. Gabriel sipped his cocktail and waited. The clipped steps were not partygoers of the dance hall. These men were here on business. “Gabriel. Father wants to see you.” His cousin, Rafael spoke from behind. Sighing, Gabriel finished his drink before standing. He knew better than to keep the patriarch waiting. This encounter would not be pleasant.

“Did he say why?” Gabriel asked conversationally. His cousins were used to these careless questions. Gabriel had a reputation of completing any task asked of him but also for bordering on insubordination. Of course he did not get an answer. Emmanuel Reyes controlled the streets of Havana. His uncle had taken him in following the death of Gabriel’s father, Emmanuel’s younger brother. Gabriel tried to work within the rules of the Kings of Havana. But while at home Gabriel preferred dancing his nights away. It was not desired behavior. But because of his successes in America, Gabriel got away with it.

Standing before his uncle’s heavy wooden desk in his neatly pressed white linen suit with wine red shirt spilling from beneath the jacket, Gabriel realized this was not a simple rum run. Stoically he listened to the plan to contain their one time ally, Ernesto Alcazar. “Marriage? Even being that close to the family will not stop his murdering rampage.” Gabriel knew the man personally. Short of killing Alcazar, nothing would stop the gangster in his path of removing all obstacles for his illegal activities.

“You underestimate his value of familiar input. Once he accepts you into his family through his sister, he will accept the advice and actions of the Reyes cartel.” The leader of the Kings of Havana chuckled when Gabriel protested marriage not based on love for the involved partner. “My boy, the ones you love will never be acceptable for marriage. It’s your duty to continue the family business wherever it is needed. So pack your belongings and get yourself to New York by spring.”

The orders from Emmanuel Reyes were to be followed. The last one to balk had been shot in the head and his body tossed overboard in the middle of the Atlantic. A couple of cement blocks tied to his ankles for good measure. Gabriel did not wish that end for himself. Life in a loveless marriage was preferred. After all, he still had the majestic performance hall of Lavender Shade to look forward to.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

The time for speakeasies and supper clubs ended once the war started. And the police finally got smart about the shady dealing occurring behind the fantastic chandeliers. Lavender Shade had its day. And it had been marvelous. Gabriel would always miss the days where he danced with a coordinately challenged blond haired-blue eyed angel. Where they drank away the pain of living and flew through a dream on the polished pine dance floor.

Those Saturday nights were forever burned into his memory. They kept him going through even the darkest of days. 

But like all things, the time for an ending must come. Gabriel had not been there for Lavender Shade’s swan song. In part he was glad. He did not have to witness the raping of the luxury inside. He could remember his establishment in all its splendor. 

Especially in the current turmoil, people would need places to drink. To dance. To forget their troubles and hope for better days. Gabriel was not ready to facilitate the path to forgetting. He clung to every memory he could. Lavender Shade had taken care of him up until now. But he had a new home. One just as bright as the lights he recalled from the grand stage of the performance hall.

***

**Jack Morrison**

It never failed. Jack had just left the dance floor to get a drink with Gabe beside him. The next moment the dancer was no where to be seen until the man’s arms wrapped firmly around Jack’s waist and pulled him close. Slow instrumentals dragged out a lovely melody as Gabriel guided them into swaying steps. Jack’s cheeks were already aflame with being pressed into the dancer’s chest. The flush only got worse when Gabe picked up the lyrics. First humming a few bars then the softest baritone wove the melody into loving whispers. 

The thick mustache tickled the shell of his ear with every word. Jack tried to turn to catch a glimpse of his dance partner, yet Gabe deftly kept their position with smooth glides or tricky spins. All so he could remain dancing directly behind Jack. So Jack was pressed closer than ever against his partner. So Gabe could continue to privately serenade him. 

Jack knew he was beet red at this point. Alcohol never helped. And he swore up and down that the performer found every possible way to ignited that blush into spreading to his ears. And though Jack could never see it, the color eventually ran down the back of his neck. Knowing that this was exactly why Gabe remained behind him, guaranteed that the blush traveled.

The part of him burning with embarrassment wanted desperately to kiss the man silent. The rest wanting to watch the unbridled joy wash across Gabriel’s face as he sang everything within his heart settled for side glances and strained glimpses over his shoulder. Jack would never stop the man. No matter how red he became. This was how Gabriel chose to express himself. Yet it was mortifying to have the owner of the Lavender Shade personally sing to him. And still it made Jack feel like the only person in the crowded dance hall.


	4. Gabriel's Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sad parts of Death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WIth Canon typical violence
> 
> Major Character Death

**Gabriel Reyes**

He would never be able to identify who fired the first shot. That was a pointless pursuit. Between the police, Alcazar’s gang, and his own men, Gabriel no longer cared who began the firefight. All that mattered was surviving. Hunkering behind his car’s engine, the mafia boss gripped his shotgun and waited for his moment. When Juan sprayed the gang of brutes with a hail of submachine gun bullets, Gabriel had his cover. Shotgun leading the way, he took out the Alcazar gangsters one by one. Some already wounded, either by police or Gabriel’s own men. He put them out of their misery. Eyes set on only one target. Ernesto himself. The cause of all of this.

The man was reloading his revolver behind a wheel well. Too focused on the police to notice Gabriel just a shadow away. A single well placed shot and the man responsible for this mess would be gone. Determined and taking aim, a white hot fire ripped through his side. His body crumbled. The shotgun clattered to the concrete. 

Gabriel’s breath never returned. Gasping into the damp pavement, warm slow, wet pulsing registered against his fingers clutching his flank. He had been shot. The realization thudded into his brain as his hand skidded across the gravel. Too weak to pull himself from the line of fire. There he lay, trying to press the blood back into his body. Perhaps only one divine gift per lifetime was all he could expect. Gabriel had spent every morning of the rest of his life with his blond angel. But how he wished he could see that man again.

A cough tore his breath away. Spewing life’s essential fuel from his body. Trying again to reach the car as though he could drive away from this place. He did not want to die alone. Suddenly strong arms twisted him off the growing puddle beneath him. Sharp pain dug into his side. He did not want to die alone, but was peace too much to ask for?

Prying open his eyes was worth every agonizing second of effort. Backlit with beautiful glowing gold hair was his Jack. Eyes the color of his beloved lost ocean. His coordinately challenged angel with sturdy arms and a gentle smile. Cocooned within the man’s embrace, Gabriel finally felt safe. Words had to be shared but he could not keep them in his fading memory. He did not want to forget the beauty before him. Did not want to waste this final cosmic gift. Halo of gold and loving blue crystals. His Jack remained the last image in his mind as his eyes finally closed. _Until death do we part._ In another life perhaps they would marry properly. For now, this was enough.

***

**Jack Morrison**

Upon the completion of the reading of Gabriel Reyes’s Final Will and Testament, Jack and Jesse toured all that once belonged to the entertainer. Jesse knew this world. Still he seemed surprised to discover that his mentor had left everything to him. The wife was never once mentioned. Nor was Jack. However Jack was not surprised. Gabriel was unlikely to have had enough time to change his will. The luxurious townhome was empty of most valuables. Relatives of Estela must have raided the place. Jesse did not seem upset. He dutifully went room to room, surveying the home that was now his. He only paused at the master bedroom. Jack was willing to save the teenager the pain of this part of Gabriel’s life, but stone faced the boy soldiered on.

The room was ransacked. It had also belonged to Estela. Jack had never met the woman, but judging from the room’s condition he could tell the family hated whatever transpired between Gabriel and Estela. With a heavy sigh, Jesse turned around. “You don’t happen to know someone who can sell this place, do you?” The teenager was wiser beyond his years. He had no real attachment to the building and only memories of the unhappiest of Gabriel’s days. 

From there Jesse drove them in Gabriel’s sleek black car. It had not been the one in the shootout and remained pristine. Just like the man himself. From the townhome to the _Lavender Shade_. This too belonged to Jesse now. Instead of touring the building, one Jesse must have known inside and out, the young man brought Jack to the small office above the foyer. It’s tiny window opening over the alleyway. The neat roll top desk sat wedged in a corner. 

Jesse however opened the safe beside it, revealing not money or guns but a hatbox. The boy shoved it into Jack’s chest with the words, “Boss was an idiot when it came to you.” The detective stared blankly at the box. The teenager rolled his eyes at the indecision and walked out of the office. “But he was happy.” Lifting the lid, Jack found the box stuffed with thick parchment. The same stationary he found when opening the roll top desk. Jack sat in the very spot where Gabriel had written so many letters. Eloquent words describing thoughts and emotions where song and dance once filled in the space. All expressing a love the man had never felt before and never wanted to give up. Every single one signed, _Eternally yours, Gabriel._


	5. Love Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Love Letters

_Dearest Jack,_

_Should this unsolicited letter reach you, I hope it finds you well. Though it has only been a couple of weeks since our first encounter, those nights have consumed my thoughts. I can’t yet know for certain, but I certainly wish it to be so, that you may feel much the same. I dream upon the next night I can dance by your side. Share the joy in the music with another. For your smile is as gentle and brilliant as the ever changing dawn across the tropical Atlantic shore. I at once stand in awe of such a masterpiece in nature and overbrimming with joy when able to cox out the briefest of flashes. Be they for the delight in the dance or dare I hope for myself, they highlight my evenings and are never forgotten._

_One day I hope to show you the crystal clear waters of my home to prove to you how pure your glistening blue eyes truly are. Telling you this feels too forward. So I write to you. I dream of the night when such descriptions flow as easily as the melodies bringing us closer._

_Just seeing you walk through the door takes away the weariness of the week. Were I to judge your expressions, you must feel the same. I only hesitate to take you to a more amicable location because I cannot decide if it would meet your desires. No matter your decisions, please know that my heart already rests with you._

_Eternally Yours,_

_Gabriel_

_***_

_My loveliest Jack,_

_How can I express the sheer joy of being allowed to escort you home. It is not that you require my company, nor the fears I still retain. But that it grants just that much more time in your glowing presence. Perhaps a lingering touch. Or a daring kiss. Jack, my heart felt like it would never come down from the clouds. I danced with the thought of you for the rest of the night. Needless to say it brought annoyance to some, but young Jesse will recover._

_To say I danced is an understatement. I flew with the rain and winds. Floated among the stars. I do not recall my feet ever touching the ground. Nothing has been as blissful as that moment. Frozen in time for my memory to keep and rejoice upon recalling. I can only imagine the sunset red growing across your cheeks when you disappeared behind that door. The brilliant scarlet cascading beneath your golden hair._

_That thought alone continues to ignite my passions to fly back to your doorstep and entreat upon you for another dance. Just to catch that disbelief and unencumbered delight traverse through your eyes. May your evenings remain joyful. As always is my pleasure._

_Eternally Yours,_

_Gabriel_

_***_

_My dearest Jack,_

_Another letter I will never send you, but perhaps one day you will read to my utter embarrassment. Again, I must beg forgiveness for not being able to express to you my adoration for your company beyond these silent and sealed words. You light up my life. Brighter than any flame existent on earth. I have likened you to the stars and even the sun in the heavens, but Jack it is much more than either of those._

_When surrounded by darkness a single match seems blinding. I try to hold on to that one glowing ember feeding my soul while surrounded by shadows threatening to consume me. Your presence eliminates all unease. I wish with my entire being that we could share that light for the rest of our days. For those golden moments on the dance floor to last beyond the stroke of midnight. Those blissful afternoons to linger far into the next sunrise. For you Jack, I would give up everything to be by your side. I can only hope you would accept me. Flawed as I am._

_The secrets I keep from you are not kept for fear you would reject me, but for fear the knowledge would put you at increased danger. I could never let that happen. You are my world. My purpose for living. Let me give to you the sense of security needed so that we may continue enjoy each other’s company. Know that my love for you is deeper than the oceans and higher than the moon. It knows no bounds and knows no happiness greater than your unfettered smile._

_Eternally Yours,_

_Gabriel_

_***_

_Dear Gabe,_

_It has been years since then. Lavender Shade is a brilliant memory but it’s only that. A memory growing fainter with each passing day. There is so much I wish to tell you. So much I wish you could have shared with me. I miss you. Even if you will never read this letter, I can finally say it._

_I don’t have the words to express myself as you did. Even if you borrowed lyrics while we danced. You’ll be pleased to know that each time those songs come on the radio that blush you loved still spreads. Much to my horror. I feel as though you are still dancing behind me, whispering those words into my ears. Somedays I wish you were a ghost still haunting my memories._

_Having you here would be better of course. But Gabe, it’s getting harder to live without you. Your letters are creased and stained now. Years have taken their toll. Jesse has put them in plastic to try and preserve them just that much longer. The few things I have left of you. Those letters and that gaudy watch. It makes Jesse laugh every time he sees it. Did you really call me a: A blond more precise and punctual than Big Ben?_

__

__

_I still wear it. It’s long since gone out of fashion. It’s been in for repairs at least twice now. Just the years wearing out the clockwork. As much as I wish to go in for repairs myself, I’m tired, Gabe. My one hope was to have you at my table every morning and every night. I never slept as well as when you lay next to me. I wait for the day when we may reunite. For the last time. The only time that matters._

_Yours every thought I own,_

_Jack_


	6. Something Blue; Post Wedding

**Continuation of Fluff**

**Alternate Ending: Gabriel Reyes**

With the ceremony over, the band played to their hearts content. No set list of songs. Gabriel let his soul become engulfed by the music. He would dance with anyone within arms length. The beat and trills from the drums and horns guided his steps. The sunset orange scarf trailed away along with his sense of time. Just moments ago he had promised his heart to the most miraculous man in existence. Movement was the only possible expression.

Forever swirling around the radiant man who had captured Gabriel’s attention in the gravity of that wholesome sincerity. He constantly returned to the arms of his beloved detective. Jack welcomed him with open arms. Frequently those strong limbs slowed Gabriel’s frantic pace into being led through long winding melodies. Resting his head upon Jack’s broad shoulder as he followed the man’s influence to a new path. 

Those moments lasted an eternity as he fell within the well of influence of the heart. Still his boundless joy surged forth as the music swelled. These outbursts of movement pushed his body to the limits of expression. Long lines stretched his senses. Grounding into the roots of his being. Gabriel never wanted this night to end.

***

**Gabriel Reyes**

Summer sunsets upon the pristine white sands of his island home were his favorite sights. Across the crystalline blue waves gradually gaining a golden treasure. The occasional wispy cloud transformed into a brilliant purple streak across the evening sky. Time slowed to better appreciate the magnificence of the ephemeral. Ever changing, the beauty morphed to the demands of capricious weather. Gabriel loved it all.

Strolling across the sunbaked sands with his bare feet digging into the lingering warmth was the perfect way to end a day. No matter where he was at sunset, Gabriel always made time to walk the beach. If too far away then he simply took his beverage of choice, sunset reds to match the sky, and watched from a porch lounging on a deck chair. But nothing could beat the heat of the day soaking though his soles. Unless it was the cool rush of waves playing across his toes. 

With his fine white linen suit rolled above his ankles, occasionally knees if the surf was rough enough, Gabriel ventured through this marvelous island landscape. How lucky was he to have such a backyard.

***

**Love Letters**

_My darling Jack,_

_The wings of time hold fast to that singular moment on an empty dance floor. Where you alight in my arms as a feather across the ocean breeze, to a song only our two hearts know. Within your eyes I find a fathomless brilliance of the summer blue shone only at the equator. Upon your lips there is the taste of fresh sweet mangos, more intoxicating than a thousand liquors._

_Oh my precious Jack, tonight dipped my heart into an elixir of which I fear I will never get enough. A kiss will never be enough to describe it. May this first lead to a torrent. Though I may have taken in an effort to show how lost within your magnificence I have become, I felt a returning to set my heart soaring._

_Be it truth or fancy, I can only hope my daring is accepted and returned wholeheartedly. I endeavor to remain a gentleman for you. To never encroach upon your sensitivities. But a passion burns within me that no note nor step can contain. Yet I will always attend upon your pleasure, for any glimpse towards your glowing presence is greatly desired._

_Eternally yours,_

_Gabriel_

***

**Alternate Ending: Jack Morrison**

“Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue. A sixpence in your shoe.” Little Fareeha chanted the rhyme as she skipped through the house. “Mother? What is a sixpence?” Jack glanced over to Ana, still in disbelief as they sat in the parlor planning the ceremony. It wasn’t actually a wedding. The laws did not allow such. But here they were with Gabe and Ana treating the whole ordeal as though preparing for opulent nuptials. He still couldn’t believe it.

Ana chuckled. The woman had no right to be so enthusiastic about this. “It’s a coin. British I think. Perhaps Lena has one you can see.”

“Fareeha, come here a moment.” Gabriel had a mischievous gleam in his eye. One Jack knew better than to trust. Whatever he had planned was going to disrupt the entire afternoon. The girl pranced up to the former mafia boss without a hint of trepidation. To her, this was simply Uncle Gabriel. Uncle Jack’s friend. “I want you to think real hard. Imagine what you think a sixpence looks like. Can you do that?” Fareeha nodded, squeezed her eyes shut to emphasize thinking. “Good. Now let’s see if you’re right.” Gabriel made a show of his free hands, even revealing the standard ‘nothing up my sleeves’ motion. “Ah! There it is!” In a flash Gabe plucked a coin from behind an astonished Fareeha’s ear. 

The girl squealed in delight. “How did you do that! Is that a sixpence?”

“Yes it is.” The warm smile beneath the neatly trimmed goatee gave both Jack and Fareeha joy. Jack because he could witness his beloved truly enjoy life for a change. Fareeha for how special it made her feel. “And you thought it up. Here. Do you think you could wear that for us at the ceremony?”

“Really? I can?”

“Of course, Fareeha. Where would a wedding be without a flower girl?” And there it was. Jack’s idea of a private little promise ceremony officially became a wedding. He should have known better than to think Gabriel could do anything without a show. At least little Fareeha had something to keep herself occupied for another couple of hours. She tore through the house making plans for how to be the best flower girl possible. Jack arched a questioning eyebrow at his partner for this little stunt. Gabe gave his best innocent look. “What?”

“That’s not going to work, Gabe. Flower girl? This was just suppose to be us and a few closest friends. The way you go on about the planning makes me think you plan on inviting half of New York.” Jack sighed. The performer’s eyes lit up at the prospect.

“And what’s wrong with that? I would gladly invite half of New York if I thought they would come.” A sun kissed hand slipped into his own, offering reassurance. “Instead I’ll settle for my family at the Lavender Shade. You don’t mind, do you? Holding the ceremony there?” Jack couldn’t help but agree. It held so many wonderful memories. 

Ana cleared her throat. “Can you at least wait until the wedding night?” Gabe actually blushed as she called him out. A slight stain to the man’s cheeks at the implication he would do anything more invasive than holding hands within this matron’s home. “But you are still missing the rest of the rhyme. You know Fareeha is going to pester you to get an item for each one. So? Ideas?”

“The pocket watch is obviously the ‘something new.’ That is why I had it made.” Gabriel was so confident. As though he had planned this very moment. Perhaps he had in a wild dream never shared.

“Well. That is usually the simplest one to complete.” Ana twisted in her chair and removed a small package from hiding upon an end table. “I know this is presumptuous of me, but I could never forget the compliments you paid upon seeing it. ‘As gentle as an ocean breeze at sunset and as soft as the lingering warmth of the sun drenched sands.’ If I recall correctly.”

It was Gabe’s turn to stare in wide eyed wonder at the cloth within the small box. “Ana… I couldn’t.”

“You can. And you will. No refusals.” The stern detective shown for just a moment. Long enough to stun Gabriel into silence. “I can only think of the orange glow of sunsets when I see that scarf. It suits you. More so when you discussed floral arrangements.” His gentleman’s look of amazement ended all discussion. He took the scarf reverently, making Jack wonder how many gifts the man had received in the past. “May the sands of the desert met the sands of the islands. I wore it on my wedding day with Sam. Now with the ‘borrowed’ out of the way. Now we need the something old and something blue to finish the charm.”

Jack had not been the superstitious type. The poem was just a relic of the past as far as he was concerned. But Jack and Ana latched onto it the moment he mistakenly joked about it at the dinner table. “My brother knows I do not have a proper formal suit. He’s sent me his. He’s the only one I’ve told about this.” Gabe wrapped an arm around him without saying a word. It was hard enough to tell his country family that he had fallen in love with a Cuban when they did not even know where the Caribbean was. Never mind Gabe’s criminal record. His brother only knew Jack had fallen in love with a man from the islands. It was enough.

“So the something old is taken care of.” Gabriel squeezed his hand. Obviously wishing to do more. “Only one left.”

“I got it!” Fareeha roared from the hallway. “I found it!” In her hand was a brilliant blue parrot feather. “This will work. Won’t it?”

“Of course, Fareeha.” Gabriel grinned. “It’s perfect.” Jack didn’t see how. It did nothing to coordinate the color scheme Gabe and Ana had been discussing all afternoon. Yet the entertainer took the feather as reverently as the scarf. “How did you know this is the color of the seas around the island? And the summer skies in the tropics?” Gabriel glanced towards the blond with such fondness that Jack felt his cheeks flush from remembered attentions. “And matched his eyes?”

***

**Alternate Ending: Gabriel Reyes**

_My Husband,_

_May you never loose that warm glow to your skin or the sapphire blue brilliance in your eyes. You are a dream to behold. A gift from heaven. I have treasured your smile from the first moment you released the amazing sight a lifetime ago on the unexpected dance floor. And tonight with the mischief sparkling in your eyes I found myself drowning in your mirth. These are the moments I cherish most of all. Letting laughter ring through our walls with such abandon as to never let another worry enter our lives ever again. My life is complete with you laying next to me._

_Eternally yours,_

_Gabriel_

Gabriel slipped the small note into the back of the collected love letters for Jack to find later. He would continue to add to this pile so his partner would never run out of letters to read. The day the detective realized the dancer used all of his thieving skills to provide more blush worthy moments was a day Gabriel thoroughly looked forward to.

Upon the hotel bed the crown of gold shown in the distant electric lights. Gently carding his fingers the spun sunlight, Gabriel almost missed the hotel stationary neatly folded and placed upon his pillow. Apparently his exit from the bed had been acknowledged and his sleeping beauty pretending. Returning the comforter and pillows, Gabriel found his lap filled with the head of his blond partner. Still refusing to open his eyes with a smile eking out place on that chiseled face. 

Reading in the dim light was difficult, but Gabriel did not want to ruin the moment by blinding them. “‘Dear Gabe, I may never find the words to say this aloud, and your songs say it so much better than I ever could. There is no sweeter music than the many ways you are able to whisper in my ear, I love you, dear. Yours truly, Jack.’” His own heart followed his body to wrap around the man in his lap. Encasing him the new warmth generated by their symbolic wedding night. With a voice softer than feathery down Gabriel murmured into the pink tinged shell of Jack’s ear. “To you I give my life, my love, my all.”


	7. Sunset Havana; Swinging on a Star Song

**More Fluff, tinged with longing**

***

**Jesse McCree**

After the first night Jack went to the _Lavender Shade_ to dance with Reyes, Jesse paid attention, since Reyes never danced with anyone before that he knew of. Reyes had danced on his own with the band. But that was just a performance when his boss needed a moment to unwind. Those were incredibly rare. The last time Jesse had seen the man dance was years ago before the marriage.

Later that night as the mafia boss enjoyed a nightcap before having to return to Estela, Jesse joined him at the table. His curiosity beat everything else he could be doing. Mainly because it allowed him to avoid cleaning the back dock. “What do you see in that guy? He dances like an old man."

Reyes chuckled. Clearly the man had spent too much time in the stranger’s company. This was not the boss Jesse had come to know, but this was a hint of the man Jesse remembered from way back in New Orleans. “It’s not about the dance, Jesse. It's being able to share a smile. A laugh. A night away from the stress of the day. Jack... Jack doesn't just take the opportunity. He pushes it further. I can't remember the last time someone invited me to dance. Every time he tries a new step, it’s a chance to share in what we both enjoy.” Reyes was enraptured as he talks about his nights with Jack.

No matter what was going on with the boss, Jesse was glad to see the man happy. “He invited you to dance? Seriously, boss. That old man wouldn’t know how if it bit him in the ass.”

Reyes just smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong, Jesse. He just doesn’t recognize it yet.” The boss took his tumbler and drained the rum. Jesse could only watch as the mafia boss left the supper club. The only thing left was to figure out who this Jack actually was that the man had captured the boss’s imagination.

***

**Gabriel Reyes (past)/ Jack Morrison (present)**

_A beautiful sunset drew Gabriel away from the dance halls. Cocktail in hand he kicked away his loafers and peeled off his socks to better enjoy the warmth lingering in the white sands of the beach. The very pace of his life slowed to drag out every precious second. It was one luxury he would never be able to give up. The cascade of rubies and sapphires mingled with nuggets of gold glittering across the rippling sea. Of everywhere he had visit in the world his island home remained his favorite._

_He relished the feel of the cool waves against his bare feet. The surf splashed against his legs, soaking the cloth of his trousers. The saltwater would crust later. Worry for that vanished with the gentle evening breeze and the distant call of gulls. Beneath his neatly trimmed goatee a soft smile grew as he lost himself in the scenery. He kicked absently at the oncoming wave and marveled at the spread of the water drops._

_A loud clatter announced his company. Glancing over his shoulder, Gabriel found his good friend leaning against a palm tree winding the film of a Kodak camera. “Saul? What are you doing?”_

_“Preserving your happiness for all eternity.” The slender dark skinned man grinned at the growing blush of embarrassment on Gabriel’s cheeks._

*

Gabriel’s office was a lesson in precision and organization. Jack took one of his Saturdays to go through the paperwork before the _Lavender Shade_ was finally destroyed. Most of the valuables were already safely stored in the detective’s apartment. This was just the last run through. Jesse was invaluable in finding all of the mafia boss’s secrets. Gabriel had many hiding places. Jack sat at the desk and ran his hands across the beautifully carved roll top. Moving this piece of furniture would be complicated.

On his pass along the back of the inner hood revealed an uneven break in the wood. Jack leaned in and investigated. There a hidden panel popped open with just enough pressure. A tiny treasure trove of pictures spilled from the pocket. A fuzzy black and white image of Gabriel and a much younger Jesse stood at the entrance of this very supper club. The day the _Lavender Shade_ opened. But one colored imaged caught Jack’s attention. Colored pictures were so rare. And the subject immediately captured Jack’s imagination.

A beautiful golden red hue filled the image where Gabriel walked a beach. The shallow surf splashed at his feet as he kicked into the wave. He looked so peaceful. Jack would have loved to have seen that look on his dance partner’s face. Their time had produced similar expressions. But Jack was enamored with this young man gazing off across the horizon. This was Gabriel at his most carefree.

Collecting these precious bits of Gabriel’s past, Jack promised to give them a place of honor. No further need to remain hidden from sight. The gentleman deserved to bathe in the brilliant sunlight gracing the world.

***

**Alternate Ending Extra: Swinging on a Star**

The Christmas party was in full swing with the Lindholm children and grandchildren gathered around the tinsel strung tree. Within the space between the children and the tree stood the highlight of the night. Gabriel Reyes. The man captured their attention with his songs and carols. Even the adults ringing the edges were impressed. The entertainer was in his element. Making people smile fueled his enthusiasm.

“Uncle Gabe!” Fareeha squealed and flung herself into the waiting arms of the former mafia boss. “Sing that song!”

“That song, huh? I suppose I could.” The bearded man hedged as he stood with the girl cradled in his arms. “But do you think you could do one thing for me? I am not fond of the name Gabe. If it pleases you, call me Gabriel.”

The little girl whined with the most horrific frown. “But Uncle Jack calls you Gabe.” Ana stepped forward as if to intervene but stopped when it was clear the entertainer had it under control.

With a sly smile cast towards the detective, Gabriel chuckled. “Uncle Jack is special. He’s the only one allowed.” Jack felt his skin heat up under that gaze. Why hadn’t his partner told him this before now? He could have avoided any discomfort within his partner, though honestly Gabriel seemed to relax further every time Jack called him Gabe.

“Alright. But the song! Please, Uncle Gabriel!” Fareeha laughed brightly as the entertainer tickled her and lifted her high into his arms.

“That song. Are you sure? Not another Christmas carol?” Gabriel teased. The children started calling for the performer to sing ‘Swinging on a Star.’ “Guess I’m out voted. Well, I’ll need a few things.” He set down little Amari and plucked the donkey from the nativity scene. “Hope you don’t mind, Mrs. Lindholm, these will do perfectly.” Within Gabriel’s hands the statuette the pack animal gained life. Nudging against Fareeha’s cheek and trotting through the Lindholm grandchildren.

_“Would you like to swing on a star_  
_Carry moonbeams home in a jar_  
_And be better off than you are_  
_Or would you rather be a mule_  
_A mule is an animal with long funny ears_  
_He kicks up at anything he hears_  
_His back is brawny - and his brain is weak_  
_He's just plain stupid with a - stubborn streak_  
_And by the way, if you hate to go to school_  
_You may grow up to be a mule.”_

Gabriel sang brilliantly as he danced among the children, donkey leading the way. As he ended the verse he tossed the mule into Jesse’s astonished hands. Laughter filled the room. The entertainer just grinned at the reference as he palmed the next item in his list.

_“Would you like to swing on a star_  
_Carry moonbeams home in a jar_  
_And be better off than you are_  
_Or would you rather be a pig_  
_A pig is an animal with dirt on his face_  
_His shoes are a terrible disgrace_  
_He ain't got no manners when he eats his food_  
_He's fat and lazy - and extremely rude_  
_But if you don't care a feather or a fig_  
_You may grow up to be a pig.”_

The pink farm animal flew through the air into Jamison’s hands. The self taught engineer protested the description even as the mass of youngsters cheered and flailed alongside Gabriel’s dancing. Jack had never seen anything more hilarious.

_“Would you like to swing on a star_  
_Carry moonbeams home in a jar_  
_And be better off than you are_  
_Or would you rather be a fish_  
_A fish won't do anything but swim in a brook_  
_He can't write his name or read a book_  
_And to fool the people is his only thought_  
_Though he slippery - he still gets caught_  
_But then if that sort of life is what you wish_  
_You may grow up to be a fish.”_

Somehow Gabriel had nicked an ornament from the tree without anyone noticing. Master thief at work. The silvery fish soared into Lena’s hands. She blushed as she caught the beautiful creature. Gabriel was already onto his next target. With Fareeha on his shoulders the performer captured Brigette’s hands and pulled her into a whirling motion.

_“And all the monkeys aren't in a zoo_  
_Every day you meet quite a few_  
_So you see it's all up to you_  
_You can be better than you are_  
_You could be swinging on a star.”_

By the last verse the entire room joined in the chorus. The joyful energy of the season surged among the house. Joy of life and freedom. Gabriel’s first holiday away from his own family. Then the whole issue with the police. For the days and weeks Gabriel spent in Jack’s apartment the detective believed his entertainer would never smile again. This proved his partner had bounced back to the magnificent performer he first saw on the main stage of _Lavender Shade._

Not a trace of the melancholy that once lingered in the man. A sign of things returning to some sense of normalcy. A new beginning. Jack doubted he would ever be able to wipe the dopey grin off his face when watching his Gabriel. The dancer was capable of bringing light into the souls of each person he encountered.


End file.
